Guardian: Part II
by st0rmyskies
Summary: "She had become the light in his darkness." Syl begins her immortal life with Bughuul in his realm, pushing away fear and doubt by pulling him closer. Meanwhile, her brother Mason endlessly searches for answers. All he knows is that she's missing and Bughuul is involved.
1. Chapter 1

_**Heyyy it's me. Again. Sinister fic Round 3! Bc I love the concept of Guardian, but it was unfortunately verrry choppy etc being my first and all, I don't think it did Bughuul and Syl much justice lol! But I do soooo appreciate the favs/follows it got! That still makes me so happy!**_

 _ **Anywho, I decided to make a sequel vs a major reconstruct of the original. And uhhh this references Guardian enough so it's not necessary to read it (me? embarrassed? Naaah.)**_

 _ **Thanks a BUNCH for checking this out! Hugs, -st0rmy**_

 _ **((And if doing this isn't a "thing" let me know and I'll just add on to the original?))**_

* * *

She woke up cradled in his arms. Something wasn't right. Mind still foggy, she looked up at him, trying to focus her eyes. "Bughuul?" she asked, voice slightly hoarse. "What's...happening?"

"I'm sorry," she heard his rich, soothing voice murmur in her mind. "You won't really remember this," he said quietly, smoothing her hair.

She didn't know why she felt this way. She didn't know why he sounded so upset. She didn't know if this was even real. "Don't leave," she pleaded, weakly stretching her hand to his. "I don't feel well."

He grasped her hand, slowly stroking it with his thumb. She was ice cold. "Ensley... in order for you to become immortal, I have to absorb your death." Syl nodded weakly. "But in order for me to absorb your death," he hesitated, squeezing her hand gently and letting out an almost shuddering breath. "You have to die." The voice in her mind became a barely-audible whisper. "Which means I have to-"

"Kill me," she finished. She didn't know how she knew, she just knew she didn't want him to have to say it out loud.

"I'm so sorry." His telepathic voice broke as he gently caressed her face.

"But, I'll be alive again, right?" Syl asked. Part of her didn't fully realize what she had just heard, but the rest of her was willing to go through with it.

"Of course," he replied. "Of course. But I didn't tell you that until now. I-"

"Hey," Syl interrupted. "Whatever it takes. I still want you. I want to be with you always." Her body shook with a chill.

"I promised I would be your guardian. I don't want to do this to you."

"You're still protecting me. I trust you. I'd rather die by your hands and get to be with you for eternity than die alone by my own hands." That would have been her eventual fate. He sighed deeply at her comment. "You won't leave?"

"No, I will not leave you. I promise you."

"When this is done, you'll be here?" she confirmed. He nodded, slowly running his fingers across her face. She was getting progressively colder. Her eyes were getting blearier. She reached her hand up to him, letting it rest on his face and neck. "Don't leave me."

Those were her last words as a mortal human.

She would die, he would absorb the death, and she would be alive again. Her death - the only darkness she had - would give both him and his realm an immense amount of power. He would not have to require a sacrifice for a while, giving her plenty of time to adjust to her new life before subjecting her to one of the rituals. Her death would become a part of him; it would become part of his realm.

It was dark and cold. It felt like she was underwater, but she was dry. She could breathe. Sounds resonated around her, but she didn't heed them. She kept walking, the ground a liquid metal under her feet. It was like a tunnel, and there was a break in the darkness up ahead.

There was a large rectangular spot of light. She focused on the light, though she thought she would be safer in the tunnel itself. She kept walking towards it, but it kept getting farther away.

He went to her periodically, but he never stayed long. He would talk to her while smoothing her hair. He'd let some kids in at times. Every time he left, he felt he should go back. He promised to keep her safe, to watch over her, did he not? But she _was_ safe.

He knew she had made her decision without much thought, he knew it was impulsive but sincere. He knew more than she did, but failed to tell her. She knew enough, but not everything. For one, immortality itself would be a huge adjustment. But now she would be surrounded by darkness, though she would adjust. She would never be able to go back to her normal, mortal life. She could feel trapped, if not now, then a few weeks. Days. Months. Years. Centuries.

An endless life, that he would do everything in his power to make better than her old life. Her future, her happiness, her life, all would rest in his hands. The promise to protect her was relatively easy when she had control over her life and her surroundings.

But his promise now leaned more towards giving her a good, happy life, without cares, without heartache, without being alone. He laid his forehead on hers and uttered an apology, hoping she would hear.

Syl kept hearing voices. For a while, she heard her name being spoken. She thought she heard him, but he wasn't ever there. She heard other, younger voices at times, but didn't look in their direction. She thought she felt him, but she was alone. She would feel pain from deep inside, sometimes. It made her want to call out for him, but she knew he wouldn't hear.

She wanted nothing more than to be with him in his arms. But why wasn't he there? Why couldn't she get out? The light ahead periodically flickered, making the nonexistent waves rush around her.

The light went out.

* * *

The apartment was as still as night. On her bed laid Syl's phone, which rang nearly constantly. The vibrations were the only sound in the whole building, it seemed. The phone died.

Mason knew it was futile. He knew there was no way Syl would pick up. He knew she was gone. Even so, he dragged his thumb down his screen, searching through his contacts. He scrolled back up when Nat's name caught his eye. She answered sounding groggier than a usual morning. "Who's this?"

"Natty, where's Syl?"

"Huh?"

"It's Mason. Where's my sister?"

"Oh, sorry, Mase." Nat cleared her throat. "What? I haven't been home in a few days."

"When did you hear from her last?" Mason asked, trying not to sound as impatient as he was feeling.

"A few days ago, when I left, why?"

Mason held his phone away from him, squeezing it and gritting his teeth. He slowly put it back to his ear. "I need you to pick me up at the airport this evening. I'll call you when I have the flight info. Understood?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure," Nat replied. "What's going on, Mason? Where's Syl?"

"I can't explain right now, just don't worry about it, ok? Just be at the airport when I tell you."

"Of course."

Mason hung up. "Damn it!" He slammed his phone down hard enough to crack the screen. Taylor walked in then, having heard some of the conversation and his outburst.

"Mason..."

"I need to go tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

"What's the matter?" Taylor asked, eyes filling with concern.

"I don't know!" Mason yelled. "I don't know. I mean, I do, but I don't. Syl- she. I don't know." He brushed past her and ran up the stairs, taking up three in one stride. She heard him bustling around their room and followed him.

"Mason, is she alright?"

"Look," Mason paused from his packing and looked his wife straight in the eye. "Someone from her...our past, I think, has come back. And I think she's with him. But you know something? He is definitely the kind that would hurt-beyond hurt-her. Based on her phonecall, it's either that, or she committed suicide." His eyes brimmed with hot tears. "I don't know which is worse," he whispered. He turned away from Taylor with a heavy breath and stuffed more into his bag.

Taylor bit her lip. "Who?"

"You remember those murders I told you we were obsessed about."

Taylor sighed deeply, slightly rolling her eyes. "The ones you said were about the boogeyman and stuff, yes. But we've long since gotten over believing in that, haven't we?"

"I don't know!" Mason paced back and forth several times before reaching into a drawer to get more things.

"What do you mean? Is he real or not?"

"Yes, Taylor." Mason stopped and looked her dead in the eyes. "I was so worried about our son, that I blocked it all out. All my childhood stupidity with Syl. All gone. But he is real. He is real and he took my sister."

"I understand. Like why start a family, then, if we're all gonna die," Taylor replied quietly. She was on the fence, too. She believed, in a way, only because she trusted Mason. She didn't think he was insane, and she knew he had his doubts. If this was real, why would anyone want kids?

"Exactly. But for now, we aren't in any danger. Syl is."

"What did she say on the phone?"

"She apologized, she said... I don't know. She's with him, that's all I know. Like she 'owes him' or something. I told you she said she saw him once when we were kids, and then regularly in her dreams. So she saw him again and she's gone."

"Is he real? Is he really real?" Taylor asked. Syl had said so herself that she didn't know if maybe she had imagined him. All kids have imaginary friends.

"Yes."

Gently taking Mason's hands, Taylor asked, "Alright. So, what are you going to do?"

"Get her back." He crouched down beside the night stand and pulled open the bottom drawer. After moving some things, he pulled out a flash drive. It had absolutely every piece of information he had about the murders and everyone involved. He shoved it into a deep zippered pocket in his laptop bag.

Mason finished up quietly, not realizing Taylor had left until she returned. "Your flight's in two hours. The best they had."

He smiled. "Thank you," he whispered, planting a firm kiss on her lips. "You two stay out of trouble while I'm gone." Mason glanced down at his wife's stomach and laid his hand on her, trying to lighten up. He had to stay strong for them. Stay strong for Syl.

"We'll try," Taylor said with a small grin. "Please, keep in contact." She squeezed his hand urgently.

Mason nodded soberly. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Stay safe," Taylor urged, following him to the door. He waved with a slight smile, which she returned, and shut the door behind him.

Mason called Natalie and told her when he expected her to pick him up. He scrolled through his contacts again, the pit of his stomach roiling. A name kept being tossed back and forth in his mind. Dr. Stomberg. The only person on the face of this planet that would be of any help.

Mason shoved that aside. He hated to admit it, but he kept thinking that Syl not being alive would be better than whatever would happen to her in "the boogeyman's" realm. So go to her place, expecting her to be dead somewhere. How could he think such things? Because otherwise, he would have to face a harsher reality. He couldn't do that.

* * *

"Hey," Stephanie whispered. She gently nudged Syl. "Psssst, wake up! Syl!" Stephanie's final yelp jolted Syl's eyes open. Syl looked around the room, which was a warm, rich color, but the structure of the room and everything in it was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was beautiful, ancient and mystical. Almost scary, but she felt comfortable. Syl looked back at the little girl who was bouncing up and down on her bed. She looked so familiar.

Stephanie looked over her shoulder and exclaimed, "Daddy was right. She _is_ really pretty!"

Other voices replied in agreement. Stephanie turned back to Syl, beaming. "You're really pretty," she repeated.

Syl blinked slowly, slowly easing herself up and cocking her head. "Thanks?" was all she could muster. "Where am I?"

"Home," Stephanie replied.

"But what is- never mind. What's your name?" Syl asked.

"Stephanie." She pointed behind her. "And that's Ashley, and that's Ben. And then there's a lot more." Stephanie was prepared to start listing as many as she could, but she remembered something about overwhelming, and stopped.

"Stephanie..." Syl repeated. "You look like someone I knew about, named Stephanie." Syl scrutinized the child, though her eyes were still bleary. "You really do."

Stephanie looked thrilled. "That's because I am!" she chirped. "Stephanie Stevenson. You know about me and them, too. Remember?"

Syl's eyes widened as she held the bunched-up blanket close to her. "You're Stephanie Stevenson... the one who... hung her family... and that's _the_ Ashley ...Oswalt... and he's the-"

"I drowned my family!" Ben announced proudly.

"And your 'daddy' would be...?"

"Bughuul, of course," said Ben with a cheeky grin.

The mere mention of his name comforted her. Where was he? Why was she alone? "Right. So... so, this is... real, and I'm really here, and you're really here?" She was asking herself more than anything.

"Yep!" exclaimed Stephanie, bouncing slightly. Clearly, she had no concept of this being a lot for Syl to take in. Of course her adjustment period would be as short and simple as theirs were. Why wouldn't it be? Syl sighed, holding her hands over her eyes.

"We're so glad you're here," Ashley gushed.

Ashley was cut short with a sudden gasp when she noticed Bughuul, and it felt as though an ominous cloud traveled over her and her siblings. Syl felt his presence too, with that same little chill, but not one of fear. There he was, standing regal and imposing between two of the marbled pillars. He watched with slight amusement the wide-eyed children realize their mistake.

Servants, yes, but they're still young children. So of course nothing he had told them beforehand was obeyed. The children lightly stepped toward him with an eerie sort of grace, eyes lowered submissively. He sighed with disappointment while they walked around him, running off and fading into the darkness beyond.

* * *

 ** _To those who've given this attention, THANK YOU! -st0rmy_**


	3. Chapter 3

"So what's this about?" Natalie asked as she opened the car door for Mason.

He shoved his bag into the back seat and slammed the door. "I don't know. Thank you for coming."

"Of course!" Natalie replied. "Are we going to my place?" she asked as she rounded the front of the car to get back in.

Mason breathed sharply out his nose. "I think that's a good place to start, yes. Have you been back there?"

"No, I'm sorry. I haven't."

Mason shook his head and buried it in his hands. "Has she been acting weird? What happened the last time you saw her?"

Natalie shrugged. "Regular chit-chat. She was watching something on her computer and I asked her if she wanted some food or something when I was out."

Mason perked up. "Wait, what was she watching?"

Natalie flipped off someone who cut right in front of her before apologizing to Mason. She replied, "I dunno. She said it was a home movie or something, I don't remember for sure."

Home movie... That sounded all too familiar. Mason gazed out the window in silence for several minutes. His thoughts were interrupted when Natalie told him they were almost there. He creaked his neck and sighed deeply, trying to soothe the roiling in his stomach.

The few minutes it took to get from the parking garage and their apartment felt like hours to Mason. He could literally vomit at that moment, but he knew he could not let himself. Natalie looked at him with concern and touched his arm supportively before opening up the door.

The place looked like it had been vacant for years, not just a couple days. It was eerily still and quiet. Cautiously, they both stepped in. "Ensley?" Mason called out softly. Not a single sound. He set his bag down by the door and ventured in further, after looking to Natalie for permission. She shut the door behind them as he began to walk around the main level.

The kitchen.

There was a plate on the table, food barely touched. The chair was pushed back. "This was hers, right?" Mason asked softly. Natalie nodded.

This wasn't suicide. This was an abduction.

He turned sharply and headed to the stairs. He ran to the top and stopped suddenly, stumbling forward slightly before catching himself. Bughuul's symbol had been burned into the floor. Mason shook his head and looked again, blinking hard. "Natty!" he called. She rushed up the stairs. "Is that really there?"

"What the fuck is that?"

How would he explain any of this to her? "I don't know how to explain it. I need to make a call right now."

He tried to push past her, but she held him back. "Mason, wait. What happened to Syl? What is that, and why do you look like you know a hell of a lot more than what you're telling me?"

 _So I'm pretty sure the boogeyman kidnapped my sister. Gee, that would go over real well_. "If I tell you someone from our past has come back and took her away, would that be enough of an explanation?"

"Yes. If you tell me who and why."

He eyed her. Stubborn little thing. He sighed. "Where's her computer?" Mason asked. Maybe if she had visual proof, she wouldn't think he was insane.

"She was using it on the couch when I left. What does this-"

Mason pushed past Natalie and ran down the stairs. He opened the laptop and waited impatiently for it to boot up. "Find her phone and plug it in. Please." Natalie did so as Mason typed in his best guess for Syl's PIN. It worked. Perks of having the connection of twins, despite being five years apart. He began searching through all her files. She didn't have much on her computer, and he was grateful for that.

But then he found the clip. He wasted no time in playing it. The silent, jittery film of their family. Back when they were a family. Now, it seems, he's the only one left. He stared at the video intently, shuddering at the sight of a young Syl, sobbing into their mom. Then, Mason saw an all-too-familiar face. How cool this would have been to him when he was a child. But now, it filled him with nothing but hatred.

"Nat, come here, now." Natalie rushed over and sat beside him on the couch. "You want your explanation?" He placed the computer in her lap and pressed Play.

"Who filmed this?" she asked at the shot of the whole family. Mason shrugged. Probably one of the ghost kids, but she didn't need that information. Natalie smiled slightly at their family life. She had heard plenty of stories from the happier times in her roommate's life. It was short-lived, when the video cut to dark, the screaming child, then Bughuul.

Once the video ended, she skipped back a few frames. Natalie looked almost horrified. "Who is that?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"That, I think, is what took her. If I go into much detail, you will think I'm out of my damn mind. But he's got her. I don't know if she's alive or what. I don't know, Nat!"

"I'm sorry, Mason." Natalie was incredibly concerned and confused. "I don't know what to say. Is there anything I can do?" She suddenly felt responsible in a way, too. If she had forced Syl to go with her, or if she had just stayed in for once in her life, maybe this could have been prevented. Or at least she could be more of a help to Mason. Either way, she felt guilty.

"Ride back to the airport after I make a call." His voice was emotionless. Natalie nodded fervently. He stopped by the kitchen again, turning on Syl's phone before stepping out the door.

Mason paced, trying to control his shaky hands as he dialed. After a few rings, a female voice answered the phone. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry, do I have the wrong number? I'm looking for a Dr. Stomberg?"

"You've got the right number. What can I do for you?"

"Is he available?" Mason asked, hoping he didn't sound too impatient.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "He's in the middle of teaching a class right now."

"Is there any way I can arrange a meeting? This is really important, and I don't want to say anything over the phone."

"Oh..." This wasn't something academic. "Yes. Definitely. Can I get your name?"

"Mason Harper. I've got your address and everything. When is a good time?"

"He's got classes all day today, is tomorrow fine or did you want to meet up tonight?"

Mason sighed. "Tomorrow, I guess. I'm out of state."

"Alright. Just give us a call when you're in town."

"Will do. Thanks." He hung up and walked back in, slamming the door behind him. He went to the kitchen to check Syl's phone. He dropped it immediately, but then picked it back up, hot tears of anger, sorrow, and confusion welling in his eyes. The lock screen. His sister looking up at Bughuul. "I need to go."


	4. Chapter 4

He stopped a step beyond the entrance, gauging whether or not he should go on. Syl felt his familiar presence, not having felt it since she was in earth's dimension. It was stronger now. Closer. Safer. It was the only thing she knew. The only stability in her new immortal life was him, her guardian.

He stood there silently, watching, waiting, almost nervous. Syl slowly got off the bed, letting her feet feel the shimmering floor beneath them. She took a few tentative steps, breathing deeply in attempt to calm her nerves. Her eyes fell to the ground, and she felt her heart beating hard against her chest. She barely heard him as he took a couple slow, smooth steps, closing the distance between them. But she knew he stopped.

Syl felt a chill run down her spine. Part of her felt like she was still in her dream. Part of her thought she was imagining it all, hallucinating, something. But it felt too real. Slowly, she went to him, closing the distance between them. _If this is all real, so is he_. She stood closely in front of him, her short, rapid breathing noticeable. She willed herself to calm down, but to no avail.

He sensed her fear, but he wouldn't get into her thoughts, though he wanted to. Not yet. If and when, that would only ever be her choice. She ran her hand gently down his chest, and finally looked up at him. "You're still real?" she asked, nervously. Breathlessly.

He pressed her hand against himself and responded, "Yes. I am."

The sound of his velvety-smooth voice in her mind soothed her even more than the answer itself. It was the same as when they were reunited before she came with him, but she wasn't afraid of him now. There was no doubt, no hesitation.

This was pure. It was surreal. She lifted her hand shakily to his face, softly stroking his cheek with her thumb. Gradually, she became mesmerized by him again, but more so. Trying to fight away the fear with the fact that he was hers now. How he chose her, of all people in any point in time, to be his. How this majestic, powerful deity wanted to be with her for eternity.

 _But me, of all people..._

He sensed her sudden doubt, though he was no stranger to her historically-doubtful mind. Years of being betrayed one way or another had made her lose a level of trust. He cupped her face in his hands as his voice filled her mind with a warm sense of comfort. "Nothing has changed, Syl."

She let her hand softly fall back onto his chest and she leaned into him, soon feeling his arms envelop her trembling body. He held her until she was calm, but as soon she felt him start to move back, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, pleading, "No, please. Don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere."

She nestled deeper into him, focusing on his warmth more than her fear. She knew he felt it, and she didn't want him to. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Why?"

"I trust you, you know I do. I'm just ...afraid." She was sure she wasn't afraid of him. She herself barely knew what she was afraid of. And there was that nagging sensation in the back of her mind about "betraying" her brother. She didn't want to think about her past life. Not now. Not in the arms of her guardian.

He rested his head on her, holding her close. "You have no reason to apologize. I know you trust me, I know you are afraid. I would not expect you to act as if this is not entirely different from your previous life."

"Still. You deserve better. You don't deserve my fear."

"Ensley," he said, voice a beautiful, smooth murmur in her mind. "You left your world for me. You let me bring you to my realm. After these millennia of waiting, you are finally with me." He tilted her chin up, shifting her gaze to his dark empty eyes. "What I don't deserve is _you_."

She smiled softly, beholding him in wonderment. "Thank you for choosing me," she said after a pause, her voice just above a whisper.

He caressed her cheek, brushing his thumb over her mouth. "I hope you're happy here, Ensley."

Ever since he first found her, she had become the light in his darkness. He was dark, evil, and corrupt. They both knew it. He had always prided himself in the fact he consumes the souls of innocent children. He loved their artistic offerings depicting their families' murders.

The more blood, the more murders, the more satisfaction. That would never change. But despite all the sacrifices, all the portals, all the children, all the darkness, he felt empty.

He felt alone.

It was an endless loop, it seemed, always people to watch, children to gather, sacrifices to receive, souls to consume. He didn't mind the cycle in the slightest. But whatever part of him that craved companionship would not stop until he had found it. Until he had found _her_ , after thousands of years.

Syl was a good human, by their standards. But he saw deeper into her, he knew she was what he needed. She had always been innocent, kind-hearted, and strong. He thought about using her or her brother for sacrifices, especially with their obsession, it would be easy. But whatever it was, foresight perhaps, stopped him.

She was the first child he protected instead of corrupted. The first adolescent he comforted instead of tormented. The first adult he guarded instead of killed. The first human he loved instead of despised.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Wow thank you guys sososo much for the kind words! You're amazing. Loves, -St0rmy_**

* * *

She sat at the foot of the bed, her head resting against his chest as he held her. She felt his fingers delicately running through her hair, lingering at the ends and twisting the strands. Part fear, part exhaustion from her sort of death, caused her mind to zone off as he talked, telling her past stories, of sacrifices and the like, as she'd requested. She willed herself to pay attention, she wanted to know, but it was too hard to focus.

No matter how gory and horrific, he had a way of making it sound appealing, his voice, his choice of words. It was enchanting, definitely. It must not be that difficult to gather children, she thought, based on that alone. She sat in silence listening to him for quite a while, blanketed in the warmth of his soothing touch and voice.

She perked up suddenly, as Bughuul's stories began transitioning to more specifically that of her and Mason, when they first became obsessed with the Oswalt murder and such. He told her about how they were almost amusing, then almost concerning.

He started talking about her specifically, how he decided to protect her. How he had watched her grow up, but that was challenging in and of itself, since she gradually became indifferent to the supernatural versus not, aspect of the murders.

He told her how he was able to actually get into her dreams, and that they were partly so she wouldn't forget, but mostly because that was the only way he could comfort her "in person". The dreams never let up once her life started going downhill at sixteen.

He talked about how he changed up his realm for her, and how long the wait was, though two decades should be nothing to him. He told her about the day he finally chose to manifest to her again, the day he asked her to be his, to take her pain away.

"Tell me," Syl said at length, sitting up to face him. "What was going through your mind when you showed yourself to me again, after all those years?"

He paused momentarily before answering, "Truthfully, I was nervous. And your behavior at first made me rethink my decision."

"In my defense, I was slightly drunk..." Syl interjected, smiling.

"I know. Your reaction was understandable, considering you had no warning."

"If I had known, then I wouldn't-"

He silenced her, placing his finger lightly over her mouth. "Ensley," His voice in her mind was sincere yet alluring. "Getting to see you, not in dreams, not from a distance; getting to touch you and hold you, in person ...indescribable. Still, that paled in comparison to hearing your acceptance, knowing that you would be mine and my wait was over."

"Why did you wait so long for me?" Syl murmured. "Why didn't you get me earlier?"

"I wanted to see if your life got better. If I had gotten you sooner, I could have ripped you away from a life far greater than what I can provide."

"Impossible," Syl declared. "There is absolutely nothing that compares to you."

"Syl," he said solemnly. "You know who I am..." He knew she was a good person, pure and full of light. Some part of him felt she should be less accepting. Less approving. And at the same time, he desired her approval. But maybe with conditions.

"Yes," she replied slowly, a small wry smile spreading across her lips. "I've always felt that way about you. You aren't the same with me as you are with any other human, and _that_ is what makes you so incredible." She held his face in her hands, meeting his gaze as she assured, "I know who you are, I know what you do, but my opinion of you will never change, ok?" He nodded silently and sighed deeply.

"Hey," Syl said, taking his hands and standing up. She glanced at the darkness looming beyond the room. "I would love for you to show me more of your realm. Can we?"

Knowing that seeing his realm would set in stone the fact she was there forever was more intimidating than not. Not in a bad way, though. He didn't expect her to acclimate right away, and she knew that. But she had no reason to be afraid. She knew Bughuul would always be there.

"Of course." His realm had always been a source of pride, more evil and more mysterious and more beautiful than any had suspected. However, anyone who had had the pleasure of seeing it, both his child servants and the few adults, were too busy being afraid or otherwise harmed to appreciate it. He never cared, really, but to finally have someone able to admire it was appreciated.

But the fact that said person was Syl made it even more important to him that it be beyond perfect. She deserved nothing less.

She followed him, standing between two of the pillars, and exhaled nervously. "You're alright." He wrapped his arm around her waist, further assuring her of her safety. Syl smiled softly and gave a slight nod.

As they stepped out of the room, the darkness seemed to fade with a strange glow, like a sunset behind storm clouds. The surrounding area was dark, but seemed dimly lit rather than inky darkness. Around them were outlines of a large building with elaborate, towering pillars and large arches.

It was strangely quiet for the moment. The air smelled faintly of incense and campfire smoke. In the distance, in what seemed like a blood red sky, were several strange lights resembling doorways. Trees, or something like them, were scattered throughout, along with large golden flames, like candlelight, seeming to float in midair in their holders.

Syl looked around in amazement, taking in her surroundings. They walked some more, and it seemed as though she recognized some of it. "You remember your dreams?" he asked as she suddenly stopped.

"I remember all of my dreams of with you," she replied, her voice trailing off as she took in with awe what laid ahead. "Especially this." Bughuul's symbol, glowing scarlet, bordered with ever-burning flames, spanned far and wide in all its splendor. It was flat on the ground, but looked three-dimensional. The glowing green poison flowed around the expansive symbol, bordering it like a picture frame.

She was nearly hypnotized by his symbol. Pulling her eyes away, she turned back to him. "The dreams. You've shown me your realm before."

"Our realm now," he corrected. Syl smiled, tilting her head onto him. "And yes, I have."

"It's beautiful."

"You think so?" He sounded almost surprised.

"Of course," she said softly, looking around with childlike fascination, hugging herself closer into him. "Even more magnificent in person. I love it here, I really do."

"I'm glad. This is only a small part, and that doesn't include my dimensions or the other dimensions I will show you."

"Your dimensions?"

"The photos, drawings, films," he explained.

"And they're like portals, aren't they?" She knew a lot about such processes, but the information was still limited or incorrect. The information out there was only a slice of the actuality. There would be so much to learn about him and his realm and how everything works.

"Correct. For example, a photo not only creates a memory, it also creates its own dimension."

"No kidding," Syl replied, fascinated.

"So only certain entities have the ability to create their own worlds in photos, travel through them, and such. But I, as you know, can only access different media if I or my symbol is included. And now you," he said, taking her hand, "get to join me as well, if you wish."

"Show me."


	6. Chapter 6

"Can we please talk about this?" Natalie asked as she hurried behind Mason to the car.

"I told you," Mason said. "You're going to think I'm insane. Can you hurry?" He watched as she fumbled with her seatbelt, her lack of control seeming very out of character.

Natalie mouthed an apology as she started her car sped off as quickly as she could without getting them both killed. "Do you know the shit I've seen and done over the years? I saw the video, I saw what was burnt onto the ground, unless this is some sort of hoax, literally nothing else will phase me."

Mason shook his head slowly. "Who you saw in the video..."

Natalie glanced at him. "What about him?"

"There were all these filmed murders he was involved in, and anyone who knew about the films figured he was a serial killer, but it's not that simple."

Natalie heard by his frequent hesitation that he wasn't comfortable in explaining anything. "I've always been interested in other people's business, but now isn't a good time. I'm sorry." She was still too confused to worry much about what happened to her roommate. Everything was cryptic and creepy. But she knew whatever happened was affecting Mason deeply.

"I want to tell you, but it's way too complicated for right now. You have a right to know, considering you've been rooming with Syl all these years."

"No rush, 'k? Just let me know if there's anything else I can do for you, even after you're home."

"Thank you," he said softly. "If I'm ever able to sort things out, or at least come to terms with it, I will explain everything, if you're still interested."

More silence filled the vehicle, save for the breeze rushing in through cracked windows. As they pulled up to the drop-offs, Natalie squeezed Mason's arm. "Be careful, Harper."

"Always am." He got out of the car but poked his head back in. "Nat?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for being a great friend to Syl. You were there for her more than I was at times. I don't know what she would have done without you."

Natalie smiled warmly. "She's a great kid. And I hope you know she loves you more than life itself. I know you'd do anything for her. Best of luck."

* * *

"Mason?" Taylor murmured, still half asleep. As she woke a bit more, she realized she was still alone. She checked the time, a little after four in the morning. He was still gone, but now she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. Nights like these were when she wished she wasn't allergic, so they could have pets. Another creak made her sit up straight in bed, squinting in the darkness.

A faint sound came from the other end of the hallway. A giggle, almost. She grasped her phone with sweaty palms, wondering if she could call 911.

"Taylor!" came a small whisper. It sounded friendly. Mischievous. Childlike. Another happy giggle rang out, but louder this time. Taylor let out a shuddering sigh and put on her hoodie when she saw movement in the corner of her eye. She flipped on the lamp, and saw nothing.

Cautiously, she crept towards the bedroom door and flipped on the hall light. She felt more uneasy now. But it wasn't because she sensed some malevolent force. It was because she knew someone was there, but just couldn't see them. The same reason she hated being "it" in childhood hide and seek games.

If these sounds were coming from children, odds are it was one giant hide and seek game. She wasn't afraid of them. She wasn't supposed to be. At the moment, they weren't servants sent out to get a new soul, they were simply playful kids who had free time. Right?

"You guys," Taylor said with a shaky voice. Why was she talking to ghosts? "It's a-it's a bit late for games, you know?" She blamed pregnancy for her lack of sense.

Another giggle sounded from right behind her and she turned around, met with the happy but rotting faces of a boy and girl, who looked to be about seven or eight. The little girl waved, flashing a cute smile with a missing front tooth. They dashed downstairs, but when she turned on the light, they were gone.

Taylor shook her head and sighed again, purposing to venture all the way down, making sure to turn on every light possible. She gasped suddenly, taken aback at the disaster in front of her. Strewn about the floor were different newspaper clippings, sheets of notebook paper, reports, and several old pictures. The TV was also on, showing reports of a family murder and a missing child from several years ago.

Taylor bent down reaching for a newspaper, another story of a missing child. She immediately recognized the child as the little ghost girl in her house. Although unnerved, she tried to keep brave and trudge back up the stairs. Curled in her blanket, she waited a couple hours until she could finally call Mason.

She thought about his call from the airport the day before. How broken and exhausted he sounded, even though he was only gone that day. She could almost see him fighting back tears as he told her, as much as he could without being suspicious to potential eavesdroppers, that Bughuul took Syl. His words became muddled as he tried to sort his thoughts. She wanted to be there with him so badly, and she told him so on the phone.

"Twenty years ago I started this, and now I'm going to fix it," he had told her, trying to sound confident, but they both knew he had doubts.

* * *

Mason reached for his phone just as it began to ring. Before he had a chance to answer, he heard Taylor, "Something happened last night with ...kids and I'm terrified."

Shaking his head, Mason replied to himself, "Great. He knows where I am, too."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Mason said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just want answers, I guess."

"I'm at the hotel, and I'll be meeting with Dr. Stomberg in about an hour. Hopefully he's useful. Right now isn't the best time to discuss your situation, phones and all. I'll let you know how the meeting goes, alright? Love you." He hung up quickly, before she had a chance to respond.

Blindly he began flipping through Syl's pictures, looking for the one they took together on one Thanksgiving, it was the first visit they had had in a year. He found it after a while, and studied it. How happy they looked. He knew she put on a good face for company, but their closeness made Syl happy for real around her brother.

"A year," he muttered to himself. He remembered some excuses he had made on why there couldn't have been another visit in that timeframe. "If only I knew."


	7. Chapter 7

Within a second, they had appeared near the lights which Syl had thought were doors. She was slightly taken aback at the realization that she had just teleported, but her thoughts quickly changed focus when she noticed the "lights" up close. The lights appeared to be archway entrances. There were hundreds of these entrances it seemed, but only a few were lit.

"Are these all the portals?"

"Yes," he replied. "The ones lit are out in the open, the other ones are either hidden away or partially destroyed. With the hidden ones, I can access the dimension, but not use them to watch people. The ones that are partially destroyed take too much energy to access, so I usually avoid them. I will still show you eventually."

"You don't have to," Syl said with a hint of concern. "So the light ones, where are they on earth?"

"Some from this bothersome human who calls himself a 'demonologist', never been worth my time. Your brother keeps accessing your phone, and the others, symbols from old ...houses, and then the rest are tapes or radio recordings."

 _So he_ _ **is**_ _looking for me_. Syl found herself quickly focusing less on her brother and more on Bughuul's perpetual reluctance to elaborate on anything ritualistic. She couldn't figure out if it was more out of respect or embarrassment or both. "So, new sacrifice soon, then?" she asked, sounding as casual as possible. It didn't bother her much.

"Not for a while, but yes. Very promising. Come with me." He took her hand again and led her to one of the archways. It was to an archived photo from over a hundred years ago, one of the first actual photographs he was captured in, he told her.

She stepped beside him at the front of the entrance, the light a cool mist. Putting his arm protectively around her, he ensured she was ready and they stepped through. Syl held tightly onto him as she felt the sensation of having just woken up as they manifested inside. Looking around, it seemed like a different world, but time, everything, was stopped. Except them.

"Travelling to the different dimensions becomes less difficult over time," he told her. "If you're willing."

"Of course," Syl whispered, mirroring the eerie stillness of their surroundings. "What's the story behind this?"

"Family reunion picnic, in which the child made the final decision in his mind to go through with the sacrifices. I was observing their interactions."

Syl took a couple tentative steps away, heading towards a woman who was smiling behind her drink. She seemed so real, just frozen in time. Forever recorded in history as such. "I just have so many questions about these dimensions and time, but I don't know what to ask."

She sensed him behind her, closing the distance between them. "Spend enough time traveling through these dimensions with me," he said, as she felt his arms envelop her. He leaned his head into hers, promising, "And it will all make sense in time."

"It just seems kind of beyond the realm of human comprehension, though..."

"Yes, but you are not like them; not then, and especially not now."

"Alright. If you say so." Syl followed him back to the portal entrance, where they got back to his realm.

"This one is active," he told her as he pointed to another entrance. "Follow me."

There was a printed-out screenshot of a low-quality recording of one of the films from the mid-2010s. Stomberg foolishly had kept it out in the open. Though the quality was terrible, it was still easy to see out into earth's dimension. It would have to do for now anyway.

The only other portals for observation currently active were from the films the newest child would be shown. However, that seemed too much trouble for the given time, despite the occasional pull he felt when he knew the children were watching something with him.

"He won't see me?" Syl asked before they went in. Bughuul shook his head and she followed him through the portal.

"You saw this film."

"It was terrible. Definitely the top few that made me feel sick." It was gory, involving a lot of knives and eyes getting gouged out.

"It was one of the bloodier ones they've made me. Understandable, considering your young age when you watched it."

She immediately felt better. Not that he would take it as an insult necessarily, but she still felt bad.

Gesturing ahead, he told her to watch. Unlike the other picture, this one wasn't the same setting all around. The other end of the picture had a view of the other dimension, earth's. A view of someone's office, filled with a lot of evil-looking statues and pictures and such.

Syl watched intently and held back a gasp as Dr. Stomberg came into view. "This is happening now?" She noticed how frantic Dr. Stomberg was behaving.

"Yes it is. He doesn't know why, but your brother has an appointment with him soon." Bughuul didn't want to tell her. For one, it could upset her. Otherwise, he felt he might have to intervene, but listening to their conversation would give him more insight. He barely entertained thoughts of killing them, especially not Mason, but potential physical or mental pain were not out of the picture. For that reason, he wanted to stay silent for her sake.

Syl's eyes stayed widened, but she said nothing. As much as she didn't want to think about her brother, her tie to the mortal world, she couldn't help but. "I'm going to watch their meeting when it happens," he told her. Again, he preferred to keep his dealings to himself, especially ones not involving children, but it's different now.

"Ok. Tell me what they say?" she asked with a hint of uncertainty.

He looped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Of course I will."

They observed Stomberg silently for a few minutes longer before he said they should go.

"I enjoyed that," Syl told him as they headed away from the entrances. "I always thought it was cool that you did that, but now, I think it's beyond amazing. No words." Her eyes lit up in a way that pulled him to her past for a moment. He remembered the way her eyes lit up as a child, the spark of pure delight and childlike wonder. But when she saw him the first time with her brother, her eyes got even brighter, remaining the same every subsequent time.

"I know you, Ensley, but this- I never imagined you would react this positively to anything here."

She reached up and stroked his hair as they beheld each other for a moment, both feeling a surreal pride in the other. "It's my home now, and it involves you." She traced her finger from his hair to the collar of his coat before finishing, projecting through her thoughts, "How else am I supposed to react?"


	8. Chapter 8

Syl wasn't surprised when Stephanie was the first child she saw, breaking the stillness of the realm. He had ordered they stay in their area for the time being, but now they were free to roam.

Stephanie started running over to greet Syl but she stopped suddenly, looking up to Bughuul for permission. He turned to Syl, who smiled softly. She crouched down, holding out her arms. "Hey, you," she said as Stephanie jumped into her arms. "What've you been up to?"

"Playing," Stephanie said with a shrug. "Wanna play with us? Pleeeease?"

"Stephanie."

"It's ok," Syl told him. "Isn't it?"

He hesitated. He and Syl aren't the same. What are strictly servants to him are still children to her. The children could use a parental figure who thought of them as their actual children. Not sustenance, not servants. "Yes. Go," he told Stephanie. Syl started following the elated child. "Ensley." She turned back around. "The meeting..."

Her stomach dropped. "Mason and Dr. Stomberg? Now?"

"It should not be very long," his voice was uneasy and almost remorseful.

"You can- you can go," she said, though fear washed over her face. "Steph can take me around, I can meet the others. I'll be fine." Syl swallowed hard, forcing her mind to believe what her mouth said. Since the moment she awoke, she hadn't been more than a literal few inches from him. But she knew three kids already. Some familiarity.

"Are you sure?" he asked, brushing strands of hair off her forehead.

She nodded, mind clinging to his words and his touch. "Don't let me stop what you do. I'll see you soon."

"I'm sorry," he said, tilting her chin to gaze deeply into her eyes. Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment before he vanished. She immediately felt the distance, whether she wanted to or not.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" came Stephanie's voice, ripping Syl out of her thoughts.

"I- weren't you? Everything's so different."

"No," Stephanie stated, grasping Syl's hand. "I hated my family, and my siblings didn't like me, so it's great here. So you saw my film?" Stephanie sounded excited.

Syl followed Stephanie down some stairs and answered, "Yep. You were the reason the Oswalt murder got all of you famous."

Stephanie clapped. "It's great, isn't it! We should show you all our videos. There's a lot. So many of us. Glad you're here, Daddy's... Bughuul's temper is so much better. He's nice to us sometimes."

"Oh?"

Stephanie pushed open a door and motioned for Syl to go in. The room was large and bright with candlelight and had several kids playing with different things, all toys and games taken from their old homes. "Guys!" Stephanie announced impatiently. They all paused to look at Syl and Stephanie.

Syl recognized a number of them from the films. She gave a little wave, trying to make her forced smile look genuine, willing herself to focus. She had barely paid attention to her surroundings, all she knew is that she felt frightened and alone without him right beside her.

"Syl!" Ashley called. "I wanna show you something." Syl walked over to the back wall, which was covered in paintings, where Ashley proudly pointed at one of the more prominent paintings, one of Syl and Bughuul.

"She let me paint the flowers," said Veronica, who made Lawn Work. "For once."

Syl traced her fingers along the painting. "It's beautiful. Amazing work."

"Come back," Stephanie whined, grabbing Syl's hand again. "You good at puzzles? Jeremy-" she pointed to one of the boys Syl didn't recognize "-and I have been working on this one for a long, long time."

"Used to be. I can try?" Syl knelt down at the table beside Jeremy, across from Stephanie. She kept glancing at Ashley and Veronica's painting, mentally scolding herself for being so clingy and upset.

"So, Jeremy," Syl started as she looked from the picture on the box to the actual puzzle, "You had a film?"

"Yeah," he replied stoically. "Used a sledgehammer. It was fun."

"Nice. Where is everyone else?" Syl asked, as there were only about a dozen kids in the room.

"All over. Some of them wanna stay invisible, some of them are too ...ill to play anymore." Syl didn't need to ask what Stephanie meant by that.

Syl nodded softly before placing another puzzle piece down and glancing back at the painting. "Hey, thanks," came Jeremy's oddly indifferent voice. "You finished it." Syl held her hands out to high-five the kids.

Syl stood up. "Hey, Steph? I need some air, why don't you look for another game, I'll be right back." Without waiting for a reply, Syl exited the room. She paced the dark hallways for a few minutes until she finally felt she could head back to the children.

* * *

"Mason Harper, yes?" A woman with long blonde hair stood behind an elegant antique desk. He could only assume she was the one he had talked to earlier.

Mason nodded.

A brief wave of concern rushed over her pleasant expression. "Just a moment," she said with a courteous smile. Stepping into a hallway, she called out, "Dad! Mason's here."

"Is it three o'clock already?" called a voice from a distant room. A white haired, eccentric-looking man came out of his office. "Thank you, Leah. Goodness. Uh, hello, I'm Dr. Stomberg, as I'm sure you know." Dr. Stomberg walked quickly to Mason to shake his hand. His face was the same as his most recent photo, which was close to a decade old, except now he seemed to carry a heavy burden as shown through the lines in his face.

"Why do I have the feeling you're not here out of fascination with demons and the like?" He thanked Leah and shepherded Mason to the hallway towards his office.

"I'm not," Mason said plainly. He followed Stomberg into the office.

"Have a seat," Dr. Stomberg offered. "What's going on?"

"I can only hope you're still somewhat involved with Bughuul? Him, the chains, et cetera."

"How do you-"

Mason interrupted, giving Stomberg the brief rundown, how he'd been obsessed with the murders since childhood, brought his sister into it, and she became obsessed. He held out the flash drive as if to prove he really did have all the information.

Satisfied, Stomberg continued, "Y-yes. I am. I was. It's been quiet lately, but I worked with a detective for years until he retired, trying to stop, uh, more like _slow down_ , Bughuul. What's happened?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Syl?" came a small and raspy voice behind her. "Syl!" it repeated. She turned in its direction, trying to hide the horror that threatened to eke into her expression. A little boy stood there, but he was more like a mummified pile of ash than a child. She had no idea how he was still able to talk.

"You'd better behave," he warned. "You'd better behave. Mr. Boogie doesn't like when we're naughty."

"What... the hell... are you talking about?" Syl couldn't shake off the sickness in her stomach that came from his rotting gaze, staring right into her soul, it seemed. A hungry gaze, but also a warning one.

"I've been around for almost 90 years. I've seen things. Never me, he was never mad at me. That's why I'm still alive."

Syl cocked her eyebrow. "I don't understand." She tried to keep her voice from wavering.

"You don't know," the boy grumbled. "You don't know what Mr. Boogie does when he's mad. You need to behave."

"I-" She knew he killed a kid who failed and then burned the house, but that was all that was on record. This boy... he knew more, it seemed.

"I only hope he finishes consuming me so I don't see what happens to you. Just behave. And then no-one will witness his wrath against you..." he walked around her, a strange guttural moan emanating from him. "Syl..." he hissed. "Do what he says, don't question anything, and behave."

Syl was about to talk when she heard Bughuul's voice in her head, but it no longer felt like her source of calm. She had nowhere to run. If she was suddenly afraid of her only comfort in this realm, what could she do? She stepped back, away from the boy, away from Bughuul.

"Ensley," he repeated. "What did he tell you?" He immediately regretted leaving her side for more than a second. Nothing was more important to him than Syl and her happiness, yet he felt it necessary to leave her to watch two miserable human beings. When she needed him.

She stayed quiet, keeping her gaze everywhere but at him, before finally mumbling, "You know what he said."

He turned and looked at the boy, who began to shrink into the shadows before hiding entirely, awaiting his fate. True, he never did incite Bughuul's wrath, until now. Bughuul turned back to Syl. "Please talk to me."

"I don't want to piss you off. I don't know what makes you tick, and I can only pray that I never find out."

"Look at me," he pleaded, his voice so soft and sincere, tempting, even. But she was too afraid. He wanted to reach out to her, she wanted to feel him, but the sudden lack of trust had prevented that. She wanted to look at him, but then she knew she wouldn't be able to look away.

"What you do... to the kids... when they misbehave..." she murmured, crossing her arms tightly around herself. "How do I know I'm any different?"

That sadness in her voice, the sadness he never wanted to hear. "I told you, they are my servants. You are my equal. I need them for survival and to do my bidding; but you, I need you for companionship. I've waited thousands of years for you. You are not one of them, Syl. You are invaluable to me."

She glanced up at him finally, taking a deep breath. "But a couple thousand years is nothing compared to the eternity you've given me. You're bound to get sick of me, at least, if not full-out furious..." Her voice dropped with her eyes. Her eyes fought back tears. "Tell me what to do so I don't anger you."

"Syl." His voice in her head was just a whisper. She could feel the deep emotion in his voice. He felt an achy sorrow, a disappointment in himself. He should have done better- she should have no reason to feel the kind of pain felt as a mortal. He tried so hard to keep it from her then, but it was back now. "You _know_ that is never going to happen. And you will never upset me. I am never going to leave you. I am never going to hurt you. I want you to believe me." He paused for a moment, studying her.

She heard "I should have let you stay" softly before he turned from her. She felt him leave. Not just physically, but emotionally. Like that connection had weakened ever so slightly.

Before he started to walk away, she grabbed his arm. "Please don't leave." Feeling him leave emotionally, scared her more than any future event. The last thing she wanted was for him to leave. She was afraid, yet she knew what he was saying was true. She knew she could believe him.

He turned back around as he felt her desperately grasp his hand. "I took advantage of your blind, impulsive trust when I brought you here. I didn't want you to say yes, Syl, for your sake. You gave it little thought, and you did not know what this all entailed. I took advantage of your vulnerability."

Syl squeezed his hand lightly. "No. Bughuul-" She had opened her mouth to say more, but words would not come out. She cast her eyes back to the floor.

"I wanted you with me so much, but the whole reason I brought you here is why I should have let you stay."

"You still gave me a choice." Her voice was small but sincere. "I still chose you. I knew enough. Even if I didn't, I still owed you this."

"Stop. You don't owe me anything," he insisted.

"But I didn't want to say no," she replied quickly. "You were the only constant thing in my life, and if I said no, you'd leave. I'd never have the dreams- no hope of seeing you again, hearing you, feeling you." Her voice cracked as she took a small step toward him, forcing herself to not look at him. She would become powerless to his enchanting presence; for some reason, she felt the need to stay distant.

She didn't _want_ to be distant. He sensed that, he felt it. He'd always felt her emotions.

He shook his head slowly and sighed quietly. "Ensley," he assured, gently stroking the side of her face before gently running his fingers through her hair. "Ensley, I never would have left you. My promise to watch over you was not and is not conditional. I would have stopped waiting, but I would never have left. I should have made it clear. But I wanted you with me so desperately."

She could have finished a normal mortal life. Alone. Without him. She stood there silently for a time, head and eyes lowered. She willed her eyes to flicker up at him, immediately falling captive to his alluring majesty. Like always.  
She let herself become magnetized to him again. He had done far too much for her in both her old life and this one. He didn't deserve any of this doubt, this fear.

He deserved all of her love and trust. Of everything in the universe, he was the one she knew she could believe.

She cupped his cheek, a slight gloss covered her eyes. He softly tilted into her hand as she stroked his face with her thumb. "That wouldn't have changed my answer." She leaned herself into him, finding solace in his warmth and steady rise and fall of his chest. "You know I've always wanted you," she whispered. She felt his arms envelop her, feeling close again, safer, happier.

He silently held her for several moments until she heard his beautifully smooth voice in her mind. "I will love and protect you forever. Nothing will change that, Syl."


	10. Chapter 10

Mason pulled Syl's phone from his pocket to show Dr. Stomberg the lock screen. "He has my sister. I want to know why, I want to know how, I want to know what I can do-everything you can possibly tell me, I need to know." Dr. Stomberg peered at the phone, clearly expecting Bughuul to do something.

Nothing.

Mason also showed the picture on his phone, of the symbol in Syl's apartment. Stomberg sighed deeply, shaking his head. He was silent for a minute, nervously chewing on a pencil before he said, "Tell me more about your sister."

"She was-she _is_ my best friend. We've been buddies since she was born. She's literally the greatest, always been a good kid. Energetic, funny, but really deep and thoughtful. Ever since our dad died ...heading on a decade ago, things have been beyond tough. Mom kind of lost it, leaving the picture, but Syl worked her tail off to support herself so I could have my own life, she told me. She would always put others first."

Mason swallowed the lump in the back of his throat. "I...my wife and I moved several states away for work, which Syl insisted I do, for my sake. I feel like I abandoned her. Her only other good friend is her roommate, and then my wife. Syl's been alone, afraid and alone."

Stomberg gave him a small comforting smile. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "Tell me, Bughuul..."

"I tried so hard to convince her he wasn't real, but look how well that turned out. I just don't get it. He took her. Just like that, no major theatrics. Nothing."

"It is a bit odd..."

"What's odd is why take someone like her?" Mason began to sound desperate. "Why not some disgusting excuse for a person? Why someone so sweet, young, innocent and incredible? It's my fault. Because of me she knew about him."

Stomberg looked at him thoughtfully, tapping his pencil against his temple. "It's not your fault. I'm just kind of at uh, at a loss."

"Meaning...?"

"Ok, you know about the, uh, chains, you said? There haven't been any of his murders in the States in almost a decade. He's moved to other countries. I think, more likely than not, he was getting tired of the detective and me, like we were just pests. Burning houses only made his job harder." Stomberg looked around the room to gather his thoughts. "Why would he leave a 'good' chain, to come back here, to do something so uncharacteristic? There's always the _family_ , the _child_ , and then the offering. Not one single person."

Mason watched him intently. "He's always very methodical," Stomberg continued. "If he wanted to go out of his way to kill someone, it would be someone like me, the detective, or my daughter, since we all have targets on our heads."

"What if my sister is part of a different chain? Stealing adults for fun, kids for food?" Mason wondered.

"Because he's never gone after adults before. At least not like that."

"But how do you know unless it was recorded? Start of a new process, maybe," Mason mumbled. "Capture innocent adults, and break them apart slowly, piece by piece, and-"

"Look, Mr. Harper. Nothing historical proves against the fact he is methodical. I don't want to be disrespectful or anything, but how can you prove he has a sinister motive?"

Mason let out a laugh. "Are you kidding me? You of all people should know he is nothing but pure evil."

"I understand that, but there... there's always more than one side to things."

"You're one to talk," Mason scoffed. "I have no idea what's happening to my sister, and there's _nothing_ I can do to help her! I am all she has. That's why I came to you for help. Can. You. Help. Me?"

"I want to, but unless we know exactly where she is, there's really not much I can do."

"So is there no way to stop him?" Desperation laced Mason's voice and Dr. Stomberg felt a pang of guilt.

"We can slow him down, like what the detective and I did. But the only way to kill him is starvation, and there will never be a shortage of children."

"What about summoning him?" Mason asked.

"I mean, it's possible with blood sacrifices and his symbol, or his image."

"What if I find a picture of him and ask nicely? Maybe drip some of my blood on it? What does he want?!"

"I don't know. He probably chooses whether or not to answer someone's call."

Mason stood. "I'm sorry I wasted your time."

"You didn't waste my time," Dr. Stomberg assured. "I wish I could help you, but now I need time to see if I can find more. Please try to think of the possibility that she is alright. This is historically different from anything he's done. Maybe it is all-around different."

"But there is hardly anything historically recorded about him because people were too afraid of bringing him into this world, and here I have to suffer with not knowing what the hell is going on because of _them_. Well, here's a new thing for future generations to hear, better write it down."

"I know you couldn't have told me anything over the phone, but now that I know what we're dealing with, maybe I'll be able to do more."

Mason nodded soberly, reaching out to shake Dr. Stomberg's hand. "Thank you."

"I will keep in contact with you on whether or not I find something helpful. In the meantime, I know you will keep doing your own research and I really hope you find answers."


	11. Chapter 11

"Why do you have all of this?" Syl wondered, eyes scanning the vast room filled with all kinds of artifacts and documents, ancient and modern alike. Everything in the room had been taken from the victims' houses after the children completed their sacrifices. Along with the toys, other objects were taken. All little things, but still things that represented that time.

"I do want to be educated about human culture. Not that I necessarily have to, but I'd like to know more about who I kill, besides the basic human habits and mentalities."

"You have more on humans than humans have on you." Syl thumbed through several papers from the late 1700s. "Why?"

"I am not afraid of them," he said simply.

"You know, when I was little, I thought it was pretty awesome that people were so afraid of you that they destroyed almost everything," she smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "Glad it never occurred to me that maybe I should have been afraid of you."

"Humans are extremely predictable yet extremely unpredictable at the same time. So complex and confusing. As a child your mentality was a new variation of complex unpredictability. I _know_ you, Ensley, you are the one human I ever chose to know and understand completely inside and out, but I never knew why you were not afraid of me, as a child."

"Like I said, it never crossed my mind," she answered with a smile as he put an arm around her shoulder. "Probably always had that connection, just didn't know it until later. You've always been so enchanting to me."

"You have always been such a rare and astounding person."

"I'm glad you think so," she replied. "So is there anything about you in here?"

"Humans wouldn't dare write anything about me," He didn't bother hiding the scorn in his voice. "Except the few things that ended up being destroyed. But it is better that way."

"If nobody knows you exist then you can do more damage, right?" She posed the question with a glimmer of enthusiasm, the same she felt when reading about everything with her brother.

"That is correct. And more of them would try to stop me, which would be incredibly annoying."

"They can't stop you. Can they?" Syl sounded worried.

"No," he assured. "I can't be killed, nor can I be permanently stopped. Not to say there haven't been countless attempts over the years, some worse than others."

"You, did they-"

He shook his head slowly to stop her. "It was all in the past, I'm fine now."

"Can I ask you something?" she said, facing him and taking his hands in hers.

"Anything."

"You know everything about me, maybe even more about me than I know, but- but," she hesitated, glancing away momentarily. "I want to know everything about you. At least, everything you're willing to tell me."

He studied her, knowing she deserved to know everything. There was hardly anything of major importance about him on earth and they had barely spoken about his life yet. But at the same time he was worried that something he would tell her would either change how innocent she is or change how she felt about him.

But why should he doubt her character and her heart? He knew her too well to even consider doubting her.

"Yes," he said suddenly. "Of course, yes. But there's too much to say, but I can show you."

"Please. Everything."

Holding her face in his hands, he began projecting images in her mind, memories of things he's seen, things he's done, things he's felt. Thousands of years' worth of memories were transferred to her in a matter of minutes. It seemed so overwhelming, but that's what she wanted. Everything from past memories to a more in-depth look into how the rituals worked from his perspective.

Observation of people and houses. The attempts to stop him, to kill him, the resulting injuries he received, and the torment he dealt in retribution. Transitioning to different kinds of media, how he views the sacrifices as pure art, how he would feed off innocent fear. She felt how much he enjoyed causing pain, and yet she felt the underlying loneliness he had told her he had.

He knew her deepest of thoughts throughout her life, and now she could finally feel some of his own thoughts from his past.

The dull sensation in her head calmed as the images and feelings faded away, the most recent being just before she had her first dream of him. She knew he had shown her things he was apprehensive about her knowing. A multitude of intense darkness and violence, which he had feared she would be repulsed by. But she wasn't. She had never been.

"I know it's not the same as with you, actually observing and coexisting," he said after everything fully faded. "I hope that wasn't too much." His voice in her mind sounded concerned, almost apologetic.

"No such thing," she replied, absentmindedly running her fingers along his chest. "I said I wanted to know everything, and I meant it."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "I know," he said quietly.

His entire existence he was alone, everything he did he did alone. It was how he preferred it, but now he felt as if she had been there the whole time. It was a strange and incredible feeling.

She looked up at him, eyes full of admiration. She reached up to touch his face and neck, his skin soft and warm under her fingers. "Bughuul," she murmured, just the sound of his name sounding equally as beautiful and powerful as she knew him to be. "Your life... Thank you for showing me."

His fingers tangled delicately in her hair as he leaned to rest his forehead on hers. His velvet-smooth voice in her mind sounding so soft, so sincere, so relieved, "Thank you for letting me."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Real quick, there's only 2 or 3 chapters after this and I'm getting sad thinking about it**_ _ **being over! Would anyone read a potential Part 3?**_ _ **I don't wanna beat a dead horse, so**_ _ **don't be afraid to say no**_ _ **!**_

 _ **The plan would be having Part 3 take place decades after this. All Bughuul and Syl with flashbacks to delve into her backstory. (Over winter break since school = no time!)**_ _ **Otherwise I'll just write up an epilogue chapter and call it a day. PLEASE let me know! :) I'm fine either way**_

 _ **Also I CANNOT thank you enough for the support! You guys are so super sweet. It makes me so happy! xoxo, -st0rmy**_

* * *

It had been nearly three weeks since Mason was able to get more than thirty minutes of sleep a night. He would keep waking up and going to his office, diligently flipping and clicking through every piece of research he had procured.

He had barely spoken any words to his wife, who was getting increasingly concerned. Each time she brought him food or coffee, she would see the barely-touched leftovers from her last visit.

But he had finally been able to get a whole hour of sleep. He was set on getting more, until he felt a light tugging on his comforter. He shot up, blinking heavily, tired eyes scanning the bedroom. He felt something grab his hand. Before he had a chance to make a peep, a little girl put her finger to her lips. Wide-eyed, Mason stared at her.

She giggled quietly, cutely, even, and motioned for him to follow her. She smiled innocently, and he chose to ignore the decay in her round face. Her loose dark curls bounced up and down as she skipped soundlessly to the doorway, her tattered, blood-stained dress flowered around her as she twirled, her dead eyes still sparkling mischievously. Mason quietly got up, careful not to disturb Taylor as he got out of bed.

Cautiously, he stepped towards the girl, who grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the room. She let go once they got to the top of the stairs, and hopped down each one, still making no sound. Mason walked slowly, suddenly wishing he had brought his phone. Or a knife. His eyes darted across the room.

She grabbed his hand again, leading him to his office. She pointed towards the doorway and stepped aside so he could walk in.

On his desk, his laptop was open, playing the same video that was on Syl's computer. The video that was only on her computer and his flash drive. The flash drive was nowhere in sight. Mason heard his door creak and close quietly, but he was too engrossed in the video to care.

The video looped several more times until it suddenly stopped, right on Bughuul. Mason stepped closer, but he knew Bughuul was watching. Why else would it stop there? Mason slammed his computer shut and turned around, eyes widening momentarily before hardening his gaze and clenching his jaw.

Bughuul stood there silently, slightly tilting his head and studying him.

"What do you want, Boogeyman?" Mason spat, knowing full well the deity knew he meant it as a slur. "Was taking my sister not enough? How about my wife? My son? You want them too? I won't let you!" He slammed his fist down on the desk, leaving a dent in the wood.

"I don't want them," Bughuul spoke softly into Mason's mind. Too soft. Too calm. "And Syl _chose_ to come with me. I didn't take her. If it weren't for you," he said, taking a step closer. "She never would have known I existed. I guess you deserve my gratitude."

Mason rubbed his temples letting out a brief bitter laugh. "I was a stupid, _stupid_ child. Every day of my adult life I regretted ever showing my innocent baby sister such vile and disgusting things. This is all my fault! What have you done to her?"

"Unlike you these past several years, I've been with her, taking care of her. She's fine." He still sounded far too calm.

"As if I believe that," Mason grumbled.

"You are just going to have to take my word for it."

"Fuck you."

Bughuul strode across the room, pinning Mason between himself and the desk. The air was an icy quiet. Mason was a small, helpless child in Bughuul's imposing presence. But Mason didn't dwell on that long. He straightened up, his efforts of being even slightly imposing absolutely futile- laughable, even, to Bughuul. Mason ignored the chills running down his spine and the sudden sense of an impending crippling migraine.

"Go ahead. Do it. I know you're here to kill me anyway."

"I could so easily turn you inside out, light you on fire, and let you live like that for weeks. You understand that, do you not?" Mason rolled his eyes but nodded just the same. Bughuul continued, "As much as killing you, torturing you, would give me so much satisfaction right now, I'm not going to."

"Why not?"

Bughuul stepped back slowly. "Because of Syl. For her sake, I'm sparing your pathetic life. But I would advise you to stop all of this."

"I'm not going to stop until I know what happened. And I cannot - will not - just take your word for it." Mason spat.

"The reason I wanted Syl, and the reason she agreed to come, is by no means that confusing to figure out."

Mason sat down, still eyeing him, but there was less fire in his glare. He ran his fingers through his hair. "What she said on the phone, how do I know she wasn't being brainwashed and forced to say it?

Bughuul paced around the room, which had become yet another office dedicated to him and his children. He paused to pick up a news article, and turned back to Mason after skimming it. "If you would focus more on the facts rather than your emotions, you would know there is no reason to not believe me."

"At least I have emotions. You just want to murder, torture, inflict pain. But have you ever felt loss? Pain? Dear God, what kind of fucked up person would let their sister become obsessed with some _thing_ like you?!"

"I felt her pain."

"You felt her-" Mason let out another bitter laugh but stopped suddenly. "You felt her pain..." he repeated quietly, the realization slowly dawning on him. " _Guardian_..." Mason spun his chair back to face Bughuul and stood up. He studied him, thoughts beginning to churn in his mind. "You... No. No, no, no!" Mason began to pace around as his face flushed with hot anger. "You? Why? You're lying. You are lying to me. What did you do to her?!"

"You know I'm not lying to you."

"If your word is so immaculate, Bughuul," he sneered. "The least you can do is _prove_ it to me. Where. Is. Syl?"

"Respect..." Bughuul was enjoying toying with Mason far too much.

Mason threw his head back. "Respect? You think you deserve my respect? After-"

"My patience is running incredibly thin," Bughuul interrupted. "And you are wasting my time. I'm just waiting for you to stop talking to me like I am your subordinate, because she wants to see you."

Mason stormed up to Bughuul, "You listen to me," Mason growled, grabbing Bughuul's shirt collar. "I am sick of your games. You are letting me see my sister. And you are going to. Right now!"

As Bughuul glanced down at him, Mason felt his mind start to burn up. Excruciating fire filled his head. Mason stumbled backward. He grabbed his temples and his vision blurred. It took more willpower than he thought he had to keep from crying out.

The room seemed to crack, melt in Mason's vision. Swirls of blood and fire swarmed in front of him. Images of murders never before seen plagued him.

And he felt every one of them.


	13. Chapter 13

Mason felt suffocated, he felt like he was drowning. He felt rats burrowing out of his stomach. He felt his body being dented and bashed by a sledgehammer. He felt his body being consumed by supernatural fire. His eyes felt gouged out, then he felt himself being hung on a tree. He felt acid burns, he felt himself get gutted. He felt his body get chopped with an axe, he felt snow freeze his body. More flames. More blood. More fear. The fear the dying families felt. The darkness that grew inside the children. He felt it all.

"Bughuul," Syl quietly said in her thoughts. She softly rubbed her hand along his back, briefly resting her head on him. "Hey." He wouldn't answer. She knew what he was doing to her brother. She saw it all in Bughuul's mind. "Listen," she whispered urgently. She moving in front of him, grasping his hand and interlacing their fingers. She cupped his cheek with her other hand, making him look at her.

Gazing up at him with concerned eyes, she pleaded, "Please stop."

"What are you doing here?"

"Please stop hurting my brother. I know he's disrespected you, but he lost part of himself. You know how close we were. I need you to understand. Calm..." She whispered his name, smoothing his hair off his face. "Please." Syl couldn't hide the emotion in her voice.

He sighed deeply, trying to quench the fires in his own mind as he laid his forehead on hers.

"There we go," she soothed, sensing the end of Mason's mental torture. "Thank you." Syl pressed her hand on his cheek before turning to face Mason, though she stayed pressed against Bughuul, clearly apprehensive of how her brother would react.

Mason's mind was still burning, as his body trembled and his eyesight wavered. A wave of vertigo rushed over him and he stumbled backward, willing his eyes and brain to cooperate.

But then he saw them. Beautiful and surreal. The contrast. Lightness and darkness. Evil and innocence. Life and death. Human and deity. Mason watched them, how they seemed to melt into each other. How she looked at him. How he reacted to her touch, her words.

The undeniable bond between the Eater of Children and his bride.

It couldn't be.

Mason took a step closer. Glancing back at Bughuul, Syl stepped toward her brother, still within an arm's length of her guardian. "Ensley?" Mason reached out, faintly touching her shoulder. "Are you real?"

She could do nothing but nod. They stared at each other in silence until Mason finally reached out to grab her into a hug. Mason embraced her as tightly as he could, hot tears slowly trickling down his face. "You're here. I-you, are-I... are you alright? Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, trying to encourage him. Her chest welled up with sadness, knowing she would never see him after today.

Mason released her, but still grasped her shoulders, looking her up and down. She looked older, in a way. Though they Skyped weekly, he hadn't seen her in person in almost a year. The sadness in her eyes looked to be almost gone, the innocent spark still there. She had a strange, ethereal beauty, nothing but serenity and happiness in her eyes. No longer the care, the worry, the loneliness.

"You aren't like the kids," he said after fully studying her. "You aren't dead."

"He took my death from me; I'm ...immortal," she said carefully.

"Immortal." An eternal life of torture? "And you're ...with... him, is that right?"

Syl took a half step back. "Yes. And everything he told you is true."

"And you believe him just like that? You know his history of manipulation, the master of sweet-talking, just ask any of those kids, hmm?"

"I'm not one of them," she said simply, enough to shut him down.

"So you just... I don't understand. You left... everything... you..."

"I can't explain it. I don't know what drew me to him. I don't know what makes me so special, I just know _that_ we're together now, and I'm safe, I'm not alone, and I'm happy."

"And this was the only option? Look, I'm sorry I showed you the films. I'm sorry I introduced you to him. If I could take that all back, I would! I would never have moved half the country away. I would have made sure you had a good life."

"You didn't deserve living the same dull life just so you can look out for me," Syl told him. "You deserved to meet Taylor, you deserve this great job, and you deserve to be a father. But you know what else? My guardian wanted us together. And so did I."

"Guardian..." Mason scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Where was he the day Mom and Dad told me I would be a big brother? I was beyond excited. It was the greatest news ever, knowing I'd have a little partner in crime. Where was he then, Syl? Where was he then?"

"Mase... I know you've literally been there forever. You are the greatest brother, the greatest person I know. You'll always be my best friend. But I had to do this. I chose this. I chose to be immortal so I could be with Bughuul forever. I chose _him_."

"No. You chose to abandon me. I'm never going to see you again or talk with you again. Now, I'm going to worry about you until the day I die. You ever think how I'd feel? You are my _sister_ , my best friend, and you think I'm ok with this? You think I'm ok with losing our late night chats that end in hysterical laughter, our stupid texts, our inside jokes, our-" Mason took a deep breath, trying not to let it all sink in.

Syl buried her head in her hands. "I... I'm sorry, Mase. I tried. I tried to get over myself. I don't know what to say. I'm going to miss all of that, I'm going to miss you. So, so much. I just came here to tell you I'm safe."

"Safe? I felt what he can do before you stopped him. What if he does that and worse to you? He won't listen to your pleas for mercy then. You've subjected yourself to his control. Your mind is his, you know what he does. I'm worried for you, Ensley."

"He won't. Look, he's been with me constantly, helping me adjust, showing me places. Our realm is so dark and beautiful, the kids are great, there's so many other dimensions to be seen. It's wonderful and I'm fine. I know you don't believe him, but _please_ believe me."

"Syl..."

"Mason, look at me," she said, taking his hands. "Look into my eyes. You've always said I couldn't hide anything because of them. You always knew when I was lying, when I was upset, anything."

"N-no. I don't need to."

"Why?" she pressed.

"I'm afraid..." he mouthed after a few moments silence. Afraid he'd see what he didn't want to see. Afraid she was telling the truth. It was better than her being in an eternal hell, but knowing she willingly made this choice...

"Mase."

He finally stared into her eyes. It was there. Almost unrecognizable. For the first time in a decade, Mason saw happiness. He saw relief, he saw calm. He saw light.

"You promise?" he whispered.

"Yes, Mason. I promise you. I'm beyond alright."

"But w-with him?"

"Yes! Yes," she repeated softly. "I couldn't ask for better."

"Syl..." Mason said, lower lip quivering slightly as tears fell. He wrapped his arms tightly around his little sister, holding her close, knowing that would be the last time. "I'm never going to see you again."

Syl hugged him as tears ran down her face. "No... but... but I'll still see you sometimes, alright? I'll be there, just... just from afar."

"Syl, please don't go. Please don't leave me." His voice shook with sorrow.

Syl pulled away from their embrace, reaching her hand to Mason's face, wiping away some of his tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I can't protect you anymore," Mason said remorsefully.

"I will." There was softness in Bughuul's voice; no longer the pure hatred. Mason looked at him with wide eyes but nodded soberly.

"Mase, enjoy your life, enjoy your family. Please," Syl urged as she stepped away from her brother. "I love you."

"I love you, Syl."

"Goodbye, Mason."


	14. Chapter 14

**_Last chapter! Again,_** ** _if anyone is OPPOSED to a Part 3_** ** _(decades from this, all Bughuul/Syl + flashbacks), PLEASE let me know. Also, to those in favor of Part 3, anything you'd like to see I'd love to hear it. Still a huge "if" on my end!_**

 ** _And I just wanna thank you guys SO much for all the support. No words to describe how happy it makes me! Wow. You're amazing!. Lots of love, -St0rmy_**

* * *

Mason woke up resting on his arms on his desk. He slowly sat up, cracking his neck side to side. He looked around his office. Neat and tidy. Nothing on the walls except for this large decorative abstract ...thing... he and Taylor thought was pretty. On his desk was scattered a few framed pictures of his family, including an ultrasound photo of his son.

This isn't right. The walls are too empty.

There was a cup of half-drunk coffee on his desk next to his computer. He tilted it towards his mouth and decided against finishing it off. Something was off, he knew. Something told him to turn around, and he did, towards the desk drawer. Opening it slowly, he peered in. He saw a large folder that he didn't quite recognize.

He flipped the folder open, revealing a bunch of pictures and newspaper clippings. He stared at them intently, as if he couldn't recall what they were, but he knew he should. Blinking to clear his vision, he flipped through them some more until it all came back to him. What he assumed was the day before was when he saw his sister for the last time.

Alive and well and not a normal human anymore.

Sighing deeply, he left the room, looking cautiously throughout the house. Everything seemed in place. He didn't know why he felt so uneasy.

"Good morning, hun," Taylor exclaimed. "You slept in your office?"

Mason shrugged. "Apparently." He walked over to the table where she had breakfast laid out. "You could have woken me up. I don't want you to have to do a thing, I told you."

"You were out," she replied with a laugh. "Anyway, I know you'll step up once the baby is here." She handed him his coffee and sat down with her cup of tea. She watched him carefully as he took a bite.

Mason noticed and responded, "What's up?" She had been so worried about his well-being for the past few weeks, and now she acted like nothing happened.

Taylor shrugged. "I just love you, is all." Her smile looked sorrowful.

"I love you too," Mason replied with a grin, although he seemed slightly suspicious. They ate in a relative silence, but nothing awkward. Mason kept waiting for Taylor to mention something about the ghost children or about his meeting with Dr. Stomberg, but nothing. After they finished eating, Mason cleared the table before cleaning up for work.

Something caught his attention in his peripheral view, but when he turned, nothing was there. He finished brushing his teeth, still feeling watched. Mason went to their room to get his tie on and check his phone.

Oddly enough, there was a voicemail from Natalie. He fixed his tie and listened. "Hey Mason, it's Nat. I just wanted to check in on you and see how you're doing." She started to sound a bit choked up. "I can't imagine... It's so empty in our apartment. I miss her a lot and I've only known her a few years. If you need anything, let me know. Tell Taylor hi from me."

"What the hell?"

Mason finished getting ready before running down the steps. "Taylor..." he said hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"I know this is going to sound weird but... what happened within the past few days?"

Taylor's eyes dropped, but she looked back at him with concern. She figured he must have taken his pills, too many of them at once. "Don't... you remember?"

"What are you saying?"

"Your sister's funeral."

* * *

"Did you do this?"

He nodded his head slowly.

"Why?" Syl wondered.

"The truth is far too complicated for human minds, it would cause too much trouble. He remembers our meeting. He knows what happened. And he knows he cannot tell anyone of this."

"So the others, why can't they-"

He laid his finger on her lips. "Ensley, trust me?"

She nodded slowly with a sigh. "Of course."

He took her hand in his. "You're alright?" His voice had a hint of concern.

"Yeah," she replied with a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was good to get closure."

"I'm sure it was."

"Thank you," she said softly. "For sparing my brother's life. And his family's. I know that wasn't your original intention..." Her eyes flitted downward momentarily. Looking back at his face, she added, "And no. I won't ask you again." Syl knew how big of a deal it was that he would spare anyone's life, let alone an entire family, let alone an innocent child.

"I know you won't," he said, brushing strands of hair from her face.

"I don't want to be part of that world anymore." It was as if she were reassuring him.

He cupped her face in his hands, thumbs smoothing her cheeks. "You never did," he replied, his telepathic voice sounding amused yet proud.

A smile spread across Syl's face. "True. I guess I did always want you to take me away," she said as she slid her arms around him. "Just without the corruption and murdering my family part."

"Which is exactly how everything turned out." She felt his arms encircle her slowly as he rested his forehead on hers. "This realm needs one thing that is not corrupt in any way," he said, the velvet-smooth voice in her mind soft and sincere.

There was a bright flash, causing Bughuul and Syl turned towards the doorway where Stephanie was standing. She had a Polaroid camera in her hands. Before either of them could react, she ran out and disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Mason trudged to his office and set a stack of papers down. He turned to his desk and startled. "Steph...a...nie?" He remembered the girl. So many childhood memories flooded back.

"This is for you, Mason!" She handed him the picture she had taken. He gave her a small smile and then she disappeared.

He looked down at it and sighed a shuddering breath. He held a gateway to their realm in his hands. He traced his fingers delicately around the photograph. So surreal. So mesmerizing.

Mason smiled.

"Goodbye, Syl."


End file.
